


Outlander

by sansa_sandor_shipper



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Men in Kilts, Outlander - Freeform, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance, Sandor is Scottish, Sassenach, Sci-Fi, Scotland, Scotland is awesome, Scottish Highlands, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-12 00:56:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5648011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansa_sandor_shipper/pseuds/sansa_sandor_shipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sansa Stark is a WWII nurse that travels back in time 200 years to 1743 Scotland at the times when the Scots and the British were fighting each other constantly. She gets kidnapped by a band of clansman and is taken back to Carnasserie Castle, but what will happen when she attempts to escape to get back to the stones and return home? Will she make it, or will she remain an Outlander?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sassenach

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading Outlander for ages and watched the series a billion times. Now I've found real places, castles, highland clans and real situations to apply to this fanfic. Sansa and Sandor are the only GoT and ASOIAF characters in this whole fic. Everyone else is original

   

When I finally woke up, I was lying down on a tartan blanket on top of a hill. Looking around I was surrounded by stones such as the ones at stone henge. Sitting up I wrapped the blanket around me and started walking down the hill into the forest. It was still the same hill I had been on before, but I didn't remember lying down to sleep or being near all those big stones.

I knew the road was somewhere around here, it went past a part of the forest near the hill, that was the other puzzling thing, the car I remembered driving up to the hill but the car was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't explain for the life of me why it was so quiet. There was a city near to where I was, it wasn't possible that all the sound had been muffled out, it was the middle of the day. Suddenly I saw someone in red just ahead of her, without thinking I called out to them and they walked over. The man was peculiar in a red coat, white tunic shirt, a neck tie, hat, trousers with the socks over the top of them at the knee and strange buckled shoes. I tried to explain the strange man walking toward me, but I was suddenly alarmed and debated running.

He was a red coat, a member of the British army fighting against the highland clans. When I lived in Scotland from fifteen to twenty I learnt plenty about Gaelic and the history of Scotland. I could understand Gaelic if it was spoken slow enough and I knew a fair amount about Scotland but this must be a prank. It was the 20th century not the 18th. A foul prank but a prank pulled on unknowing women strolling the highlands, it must be, right?

"What are you doing in these parts Miss?" I furrowed my brow, saw the musket and sword at his side and tensed a little.

"I just got a little lost. But if you direct me in the way of the city I should be very gracious." Smiling I pushed a ginger lock out of my eyes.

"The city? How lost are you Miss? There is no city here." He replied. I bit my lip and was about to walk past the man when he stopped me.

"Un-hand me sir." I said with a confidence she didn't know she had in me.

"Excuse me. You are in the presence of lieutenant Carter a member of the British army, fighting for king and country. You would dare speak to me in such a way." I glared at him and slapped him, then before I knew it herself, I was pressed against a tree with a knife at my throat. Looking at the man square in the face, the fear evident in my eyes

"What foul prank is this?" I proclaimed but he was not humored.

"Are you calling the British army a joke?" He got the blade closer to her face and I shook my head. But with a sudden burst of confidence I kicked him in the groin and pushed him away from me before dropping the blanket and running down the hill. There was a gun shot that hit a tree near me and I screamed, but I carried on running. Then there was a variety of different yells and calls from all around me, but I focussed on running. Till I fell down and went rolling down the hill, only stopped by a tree in my stomach.

Groaning I got up and looked around, there were men in kilts and men in red coats fighting each other and I occasionally saw them running. But personally I didn't care, I was about to carry on down the hill when she ran into a solid figure. Staring up I saw a gruff and angry looking man with a large beard and brown hair with a kilt on. I was about to scream when his hand was over my mouth, I bit his hand and ran for a few meters before I was hit over the head and everything went black.

"Bhí sí ag rith ó na cótaí dearga , mar dúinn gcéanna . Ach mé Don." _She was running from the red coats, same as us. But I don't know who she is._ I was slowly waking up to the sound of Gaelic. I could feel hay beneath me and my cotton dress clinging to me, I had clearly been in the rain at some point.

Opening my eyes I could see eight men standing or sitting in a barn, looking at me or drinking and talking to each other. Sitting up I looked with scared eyes at them and scurried backward to get away from them.

"Who are you?" I asked apprehensive and some of the men laughed after I spoke.

"Aye, she's a Sassenach if I ever saw one. Never met a female one before. Think they got cunts like people have told us about?" Some of the men laughed, but one didn't. A dark haired man with a beard and a dark yellow and black kilt, he just stared at me with his hands clasped leaning on his knees. Even though he wasn't laughing at the joke about the suggestion of rape he scared me the most.

"Are you going to rape me?" My voice was shaky and scared, tears began forming on the bottom of my eyes.

"No, were not. Can't be doing with that and it would take to long, we have to go." An older man in a green and blue kilt told me.

"I'm not going anywhere with you people." I replied, retreating further into the corner of the room.

"Yes you fucking are." Another man said, walking over to me and pulling me up forcibly. I screamed and kicked and swore at him, I wasn't even meant to be here. I was meant to be driving home, away from the wedding I walked out on. Now it was all coming back to me, whatever happened near those stones, it momentarily cleared my memory of previous events. Now I remembered as I kicked and screamed and swore.

"Soith." _Bitch._ The man muttered as he dragged me outside kicking and screaming. The rest of the men drank up and then saddled their horses for the apparent ride ahead. I was for a moment let go of and let alone, looking around, I saw one escape route, behind me. I knew I had to try so wait a few seconds I ran back around the stable and up the higher ground into the forest. But I was soon caught up by the black haired man in the dark yellow and black kilt. He picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. I beat his back and kicked him a couple of times in the stomach but he held my legs down.

"Let go of me, you fucking brute!" I yelled at him and it made the man laugh. His deep laughter reverberated through him and send shivers through me. I was placed down, onto a horse. He quickly sat up behind me and took hold of the reins. I huffed and crossed my arms, then a blanket was placed around me, I look around slightly and the man had wrapped a blanket around the shoulders of both of us. I found out later it was a portion of his kilt that hung over his shoulders.

We rode for a day and the men were constantly asking me questions I did not answer. I would not tell them my name, why I was there, who I was and I was told to fuck off back to England, back the the Sassenach's I belonged to. I hated the quizzing and constant insults I received from just being English, the only one who didn't ask me questions was the man in the dark yellow and black kilt.

"Sassenach, you might as well tell us your name, we will take you to where we're going and you will be spoken to by more people so you might as well be honest with us." I kept my arms crossed and glared at the man with the grey beard and the green and blue tartan kilt.

"My name is Sansa Stark, I'm from Hertfordshire England and I'm not ashamed of it." I went back to looking forward as the rain poured down on us all. This whole situation seemed mad and I wanted to be dreaming I really did. But part of me couldn't help but be excited to explore all these places that were not in ruins.

When I had gone to the castles and forts, I had never expected to go into the castles as they were new and still standing with people bustling around in them. It filled me with a certain degree of joy. I knew Jack would have loved it. But I would never want to see him again, he was the man I walked out on. I walked out on my wedding to him and that was one thing I never wanted to return to in my lifetime, we had been in these very parts earlier this week. Just looking around the crumbling buildings and taking in the beauty of the highlands. That I had loved, exploring was something I had a desire to do.

But I suppose that is expected from the daughter of an ex sea captain and an ex military nurse. Plus the fact that Robb my brother and Jon my cousin were in the army from the age of sixteen and I became a military nurse as well. I was always immersed in many situations that begged for exploration and research. I couldn't stand being left at home like a sad housewife that felt helpless. I wanted to help and going into the army was my best chance.

I peered up at a few rocks on a hill above me. I recognised them, Jack had told me about them. Something about the English using it as a hiding place for ambushes on the highland clans.

"Those great rocks over there. I know them." I told the man behind me.

"Aye, they're called cloch liath mór. _Great grey stone_ is the exact translation." I looked around the forest we were in and couldn't see any signs of red coats.

"I think they use this forest an those rocks for ambushes." There was silence for a minute, then the man in the dark yellow and black kilt rode up to the front of the group, to the man with the grey beard and the green and blue tartan kilt. They began talking in hushed Gaelic and it was to fast for me to be able to pick up anything.

"Hide yourself." The man in the kilt whispered close to my ear, I didn't understand him, then he pushed me off the horse and the highland men sprang into action, suddenly red coats appeared everywhere, but the yells of the highlander assured me that I could run. I ran down the hill on the forest, away from the track we had been on and just tried to get as far away from the gunshots as I could. Of course I had no PTSD but I couldn't say I favoured the sound.

I knew I had to try and get away from the sound of horses to get some bearing of where I now was, but as I was about to run away from a stream the man who had been sitting behind me pulled up on his horse. As he jumped off his horse, I could see blood on his shoulder and chest of his clothes.

"Is that yours?" He looked down at it.

"Not all of it, but you need to come with me. They'll all be waiting for us." I had to be careful now. If I ran from him, I could escape. But if I couldn't I would be held in captivity forever.

"No thank you." I said glaring at him and backing away.

"I don't wish to harm you Sassenach, but I ken you aren't that heavy and I will just pick you up." I backed away down the little hill of land into the shallow stream and he followed. We started playing a game of dodge and he won. He took hold of my right arm and I put all my weight down, but it made no difference to him. I kicked him and he winced but didn't let go. Then I started to scream and he hit me over the head. Now everything was black again.

My eyes fluttered open and it was night, I had been leaning on the man in the dark yellow and black tartan kilt's chest. I sat up and looked around, we were getting closer to a castle on a small hill, surrounded by land and people.

"That's Castle Carnasserie, Laird Hamish McNabb runs it." The man behind me whispered to me.

"There was no need to knock me out." I hissed at him. Looking round I could see the blood on his shoulder spreading, pulling back the collar of his shirt there was a very deep cut from a knife of some sort.

"For God sake. Why didn't you tell me about that, I need to get a clean bandage on it and clean it." Sighing with an angry face I turned back to looking at the castle as we approached the stables.

The man behind me jumped down and I did after him, I had had some experience with horses when I was younger, I lived in Sheffield where my uncle Bejen owned a horse stable. But I was more at home around medical equipment although I wasn't sure what the situation for medical knowledge in this time. But i feared it was the time in history when healers were called witches and burned at the stake without fair trial.

But I must take it all in my stride and try to survive, at least until I returned home, somehow.


	2. Castle Carnasserie

       

 

"Is there anywhere in the castle with clean cloth and things I would use as a healer." The man in the dark yellow and black kilt nodded and I followed him into the castle. We went mostly unnoticed apart from a few men who greeted him in Gaelic of which I didn't understand. There was probably some of the very old dialect that wasn't taught to me.

But eventually we walked down the the lower levels of the castle and he led me into a fire lit room that had a small bed in the far corner of the room, surrounded by a cotton screen. Looking around, it was full of vials and sealed bowls of substances, cupboards with bottles of liquids and boxes of foul smelling things. Sitting the man down I took his ale from his belt much to his annoyance and rummaged around for clean cloth. When I found some I walked back to him and he unbuttoned his shirt, as he took it off I was applying the ale to the cloth and I didn't see his back.

Looking back I didn't react to the sight I saw, I knew from experience that the worst thing you could do when you saw a serious wound or injury was stare or ask. Pressing the alcohol covered cloth to his cut he inhaled sharply then relaxed at the pain.

His back had been burned before, it must have, that was what it looked like anyway and there were scars on his back that looked like the aftermath of a whipping. Regardless i still had to clean his wound and I dabbed the cloth on the wound once more without pulling it too much.

"What's your name?" I asked to fill the silence.

"Sandor McBride." It was a mouthful to say the least, I sounded it out in my head and lost concentration for a minute. The cloth fell to the floor and we both clashed heads as we went to get the material.

"Bloody hell!" I practically yelled when our heads collided.

"Sorry." I muttered, I laughed lightly and he seemed to smile a little. I threw that piece of cloth into the fire and picked up a longer length to wrap around his shoulder and under his armpit, securing it at the top with a knot.

"I ken you've seen the scars." I felt bad to acknowledge him but I couldn't just outright lie about it.

"I noted that. How did you get them?" There was a silence and I practically hit myself on the head for my stupidity.

"Captain Major John Harlow. He's the reason I have them, a Captain Major in the British army, I had been arrested, and taken to fort William. I had escaped the first time but they found me at my home and whipped me there, but not so badly as this. Then they took me back to fort William. My back was scorched by fire and my burning skin was whipped, my mother is already dead you see but the sight of me being abused in such a way caused my father to have a heart attack and drop dead. Now it's just me, my sister, and the family on our mother and fathers side." Harlow, that was Jack's second name. Captain Major John Harlow. I had heard that before, yes, Jack told me about him.

 _He's an ancestor of mine. Generations ago of course but I am a direct descendant of his, funny that I'm doing my PHD on the time in history really. He was a Captain Army Major and a hated one at that. Most of the records call him either honourable or cruel, who knows which one you can believe. Plus, we could never have all the records from everything he did so we can't really make a conclusion._ A cruel man, that was what he sounded like and one I never wanted to meet.

I came back to the present and Mr McBride was rolling his shoulder strangely I crouched down and they were most definitely uneven. Dislocated probably, unfortunately it was also the shoulder with the cut on it. Walking round to the front of him a felt around his shoulder and it did not feel in place.

"Your shoulder is dislocated. I need to put it back into place and it's going to hurt." Looking at Mr McBride, he nodded and I could see him clenching his teeth together and tensing his arm. I took my grip on his shoulder then pushed forward with power, there was a sort of cracking sound and he yelled into his hand to muffle it.

I glanced back at him and he rolled his shoulders feeling it again, there might be bruising and his cut had yet to scan over and heal. But his shoulder was in line now.

"Your good to go as far as i can see. Where should I go now? When can I go home?" I asked looking up at him as he stood.

"I predict it won't be for a while lass, they wont just let you go. They think you will take whatever information you have and give it too the English." I knew that, I had understood their slurred slow conversations when they were slightly drunk on the journey to Castle Carnasserie but I wasn't about to tell him that.

"Can I speak to someone about it, you mentioned a Laird?" I felt like he was staring at me to intently for his judgement to be good.

"I canny tell you that lass. I canny be sure he will accept your company. You need to get cleaned up before that can happen, your hardly dressed to meet him, I'll call Mrs Conway. Stay here." He said looking into my eyes, we both stood up and were a little closer than we should have been, looking at each other the space seemed to lessen but I stepped back and forked the fire before anything happened.  
  
"I'll see you in three days to change your dressing if not before then." Mr McBride nodded and pulling his tunic over his head he walked out of the room. I sat in front of the fire and closed my eyes, why couldn't it be a dream? It could be a dream, I just haven't woken up yet. It might be the night before the wedding and I haven't even walked out yet, no, I'm sure of that part. But maybe I fell asleep in the car or on that hill. Or I'm lucid dreaming, I don't know.

I was only awoken by a shaking of my shoulder and a ginger woman smiling down at me.

"I am Mrs Conway, your not in the bed condition are you lass, well, we'll soon sort that out." She pulled me up and brought out a whole wad of clothing, I didn't even know what most of it was let alone where it went.

When I had washed and was clothed completely, I felt like a little girls doll, but apparently this was everyday wear. My waist has a bloody hoop around it and the metal is digging painfully into my waist, everyday wear? I think not. Thank the Lord my hair was not in some pretentious show off style, it was simply pulled back at the front and tied at the back to let the rest hang onto my shoulders. Mrs Conway led me to the great hall, it sounded large and to be fair, it was. There was a main table with one larger seat, I predicted who sat there was Laird Hamish McNabb and his wife and the man who wore the green and blue kilt sat on his other side.

Mrs Conway left me at the entrance to the hall much to my protest she shoved me down the steps and I rolled my eyes before walking up to the main table. Everyone stopped eating or drinking and stared at me. The man at the main table had brown hair that was tied back at the neck with an older face. But I couldn't tell from his eyes whether he would be harsh or not.

"I take it you are Mrs Stark who hails from Hampshire?" The man I assumed was Laird asked me.

"Miss Stark, but yes." I knew I shouldn't keep my answers short and too the point as to have no discussion about their legitimacy.

"Ah, and what is a single woman doing in these parts, Miss Stark?" He knew what he was doing, trying to intimidate me so I would slip up on my answer.

"I wanted to see what all the fuss was between Scotland and England, first by visiting the highlands, so me and my... man servant came up to Scotland in a horse and carriage but we were ambushed by highwaymen while near to Inverness. I managed to escape after they nearly raped me and stole most of my clothes. That was why my attire was so improper as I entered." He looked impressed but I knew he could see through my lies.

"I see, forgive my hostility toward you Miss Stark, please, sit and eat next to my brother." He motioned to the man with the blue and green kilt. I bowed my head with smile, losing it as I sat down.

"How are you Sassenach?" The man asked me.

"Alright I suppose, aside from the kidnapp and the fact I'm prisoner here, I'm doing great." He chuckled.

"Let me introduce myself as Fletcher McNabb, I offer my acquaintance." Fletcher did a mock bow and I looked at him with a puzzled gaze, mostly because I didn't want to talk to him. I knew that I needed to get back to Inverness, whatever direction that was in and go back to those stones. I didn't know how to get back but maybe being there would jog my memory.

"Alright, when can I leave, that's all I care about." I said cutting up a piece of beef. He stared intently at her with a furrowed brow, Sansa knew she was annoying the man but she didn't care. She needed to get back to her era at least, or away from this place. They would happily rape a troubling Sassenach and Sansa couldn't take that chance, wherever she went in Scotland at this time period she would be ridiculed for being English and she didn't want to take that.

"I canny tell you lass, but it should be at least a week, you'll have to speak with my brother on the matter. I'm not Laird, he is, he controls what and who goes in and out of this place." Huffing angrily I stabbed my meat.

The meal had been going on for hours, how long did these men need to drink for till they were to drunk to eat anymore. I was pushing the remainder of my food around my plate and trying to get a little drunk so I could fall asleep there, I was leaning on my hand and my eyelids were slowly dropping, I would have fallen head first right onto my potatoes if I hadn't opened my eyes and sat up straight quick enough. Rubbing my eyes I sat back in my chair and covered my stomach with my hands, this excuse for support was just constricting. How women of this time coped I would never know.

"Mo chairde , creidim muid ag chaitheamh ar feadh na hoíche , emplore liom tú dul ar scor ar do sheomra." _My friends, I believe we are spent for the night, I emplore you to retire to your chambers._

We're the words that woke me from my sleep, I was leaning on my hand and as I sat up there was a shooting pain in my back and wrist from the position I had been in. I didn't know how long I had slept, but I invited my bed. Standing up I was walking up the stairs, out of the hall when I heard a name called that I didn't appreciate.

"Sassenach bitch!" "Whore!" "English Scum!" I didn't even turn around, I just ran away. I knew where the stables were, I knew I could ride a horse, I knew I could get there in time. So I ran, out of the castle and through the mud of the field. I could hear shouts behind me but I kept running, I had to get back to the stones. Locking the stable door,

I got into the stables and saw a horse with a saddle on it, I was running toward it when I tripped over something and fell head first into the hay. Before I knew it, I was being pinned to the floor with a knife at my throat. It was Mr McBride, hardly a threat. For some reason, I was sure he wouldn't harm me. So I pushed him off me and walked over to the saddled horse.

Reaching under my dress I untied the metal mesh I was being held in and cast it too the floor with a relieved sigh, walking over to the horse I could feel a presence behind me. Looking round, Mr McBride was standing with his hand resting on his belt staring at me.

"They won't let you leave. They'll chase you till they catch you lass and you won't be treated like you have." I walked toward him and glared.

"I have been called a whore, an English bitch, and to fuck off back to the English. I couldn't care less what they do to me, I don't belong anywhere. Not here, not England, I was running away and I ended up in deeper trouble than I had been in. Throw me in a dungeon, lock me up." I couldn't take it anymore.

"Anyway, there's men outside that would rather rape me than let me go free. I either have to run or be taken indefinitely." He looked from the locked door back to me.

"Why were you running?" I looked down to my feet.

"They called me a whore and a bitch and scum, do I need more reason to hate a place such as this." He grinned.

"What did you expect, that they would accept you with open arms, Sassenach, your an outsider here. The only English they know are the red coats that murder Scots. They haven't known an Englishman or woman that doesn't want to kill them, I ken you are that woman. But they don't." I looked back to him with a slight smile.

"I still can't go out there. They'll kill me." Mr McBride grimaced.

"I'll tell them something, meanwhile. Put your dress back together, if your going to look like a model for English women you should be dressed." He gestured to the metal mesh and I sighed but obliged, as I stepped into it, he turned around and faced the door with a hand on his sword.

"I'm dressed. I suppose." I said, he looked round and smiled a little before going to the door. When he opened it, he began talking in fast Gaelic to the sound of yells in Gaelic and some English I couldn't hear clearly enough. After a while, Mr McBride turned around and beckoned me to the door.

"Do not say anything, whatever they say it whatever you hear. Promise me Sassenach, you'll just walk to the castle I'll be right behind you." I nodded even though I was apprehensive. He opened the door and there was a walkway with people on the outside, I walked throughout them. Hearing the usual insults about my birth, but I had promised Mr McBride. So I walked past them all with my head held high and my dress trailing behind me.

As I approached the back door of the kitchens, Mr McBride opened the door for me and entered before me, the coast seemed clear and the rest of the people had dispersed after their full fill of insulting me. I walked into the kitchen and leant against a bench.

"Thank you. Why were you in the stables anyway?" I asked, with my hands on the wood of the surface.

"I'm good with the horses, and I'm okay with missing a few big dinners, i wont be missed anyway." Smiling I stood up and looked around.

"Well, I had no one to talk to the whole time, so maybe you'll reconsider for the next one. I should be going back to my cell, goodbye Mr McBride." I turned but he stopped me.

"Don't say that in front of anyone but me, if anyone hears you say that, they will put you in a real cell, underground." His eyes were serious and I could tell he was. He let go of my arm as I pulled back and ran away to my room, I needed another escape plan and quick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Sandor's burns on his back rather than his face, just cause I can. Plus it makes the story more interesting.


	3. Not So Homebound

_ _

_"What's the point of going to Scotland for our wedding?" Sansa asked Jack, rolling over onto her side to face him._

_"The scenery is beautiful and plus, you'll become a highland queen when you marry me. We going to Inverness, where I was brought up." He smiled and kissed her forehead._

_"And we won't be reminded of the war or anything to with it, it will just be us in a chapel, you'll be Mrs Jack Harlow and we'll have beautiful highland children that are as beautiful as their mother and as brave as her too." Sansa cuddled up to him and closed her eyes._

I opened my eyes and expected a warm embrace but, I was in an empty bed, still in the 17th century being woken up at God knows what hour. I was undressed by Mrs Conway who insisted on washing and dressing me, and by washing I mean pouring an absolutely freezing bucket of water over my head while I was naked and then drying me with a rag. I quickly pulled my shift over my head and tried to warm up by rubbing my skin but the cold Scottish air on bare skin had hit me in the face. I almost knew at some point i might get pneumonia and die, but oh well.

When i was dressed I sat on my bed alone and hugged my knees, then there was a knock at my door.

"Come in." I called half heartedly. I leant my head on my knees and half expected someone to take me to have my throat slit or have me put in the stocks but when I looked up, Mr McBride was standing there.

"How you holding up Sassenach?" He asked with a hand on his sword, tears began to fill my eyes.

"How do you think?" I said quietly through tears. I buried my head in my skirts and cried, I felt him sit next to me as the bed sagged and an arm was put around me.

"You'll be alright lassy, remember, your English. You have ruthlessness in your blood, use it." I leant on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

"Hamish wants to see you." He said out of the silence.

"Will he let me go home?" I sniffed. Mr McBride rubbed my shoulder.

"I canny tell you lass. It's up to him, but you haven't helped your case by trying to run away." I groaned and pulled away from him, resting my head on my hands.

"Come on lass, I'll take you there." He stood up in front of me and I breathed out slowly before rubbing my eyes and standing up, I followed him to the other side of the castle and up a few stairs before we came to the door. Mr McBride stood to the side and I took it apon myself to knock, there was a swift but definite answer of "come in." From inside the room and I opened the door.

"Ah, Miss Stark who hails from Hertfordshire." I closed the door behind me and stepped toward him. I noticed something I hadn't seen the previous evening, his legs were abnormally short for the rest of his stature and bend outwards causing him to limp. My prediction was that it was pycnodysostosis but i would need to carry out an examination to be sure.

"You called me here?" He nodded and hobbled closer to me. Even if the man was smaller, he certainly intimidated me.

"Yes, Miss Stark I believe you understand medicine or the practice of being a healer, now, my last healer died not three months back and i need another, I want you to be the new healer, or at least try it." My immediate reaction was to shake my head.

"No?"

"I need to get back to Inverness and with all due respect, I am not yours to keep. I am a free person with rights that i wish to exert profusely." Hamish chuckled.

"The thing is Miss Stark, you will not be leaving this castle until you have told me everything about you. I don't believe one word you have said apart from your name and where your from, I ken you knew that." Breathing out silently I clenched my right fist.

"Why?"

"For all i know, you could be an English spy Miss Stark, i don't trust you one Britains you can hardly blame me. An english lady wouldn't just be in the wilderness." I replayed my story in my head.

"I was attacked by highwaymen. In my experience they don't pick and choose where to rob people." I replied with a venom in my tone that hadn't been there before.

"Whats the point of lying Miss Stark? You may as well tell me." I stayed silent, never wanting to tell him. He sighed and chuckled to himself.

"I admire your stubbornness but you'll not be having a chance at leaving till I have the truth. You'll stay here as a healer with two guards with you all day. I won't give in Miss Stark as i know about your attempted escape lasted evening. I don't take things like this lightly, your lucky i haven't thrown you into a dungeon and thrown away the key." Biting my teeth together I clenched my fists like a child and smiled, I had a plan.

"Pycnodysostosis." I said bluntly looking at his deformed legs.

"What?"

"Pycnodysostosis. Your condition, I assumed you knew." I was sure he would see through my kind games but i Kay get some lee way or trust from being a healer for him as well ot at least diagnosing his condition and sounding clever.

"Never heard of it."

"It's brought along by a mutation in your genes that causes your bones to be dense meaning your smaller stature. The mutation causes you to have brittle bones which easily break, especially in the legs and feet. Your jaw and collar bone are also particularly prone to fractures. Everyday is painful for you, because of your spine, the defects in your spine may permit the it to curve laterally resulting in scoliosis. I believe you alreadly have a mild case of scoliosis and I can't do anything but ease the pain. Will , be all, Laird McNabb?" The man looked stunned and it pleased me. I turned around and walked out of the room.

"Miss Stark. Come here." I heard from behind me. I walked back in with a small smug smile on my face.

"If you ever speak of such mythical witchcraft ever again, I will have you burnt at the stake naked and screaming. Wait here." He walked out of the room and locked the door. My first reaction was just to open my mouth in shock, why hadn't I just shut up? Everyone always says to keep quiet unless you must speak, why did it have to be here ? I may as well be burned at the stake because there's nothing for me here and I'm never going home.

When Hamish came back I was sitting on a chair leaning my chin on my hand, he had two of the men I had come here with, with him. One had curly blonde hair and the other had a black hair with a beard and a moustache.

"These two will follow and guard you all day everyday, Fergus and Eoin, you alreadly ken Miss Stark." They nodded and we looked back to Hamish.

"Miss Stark will stay here, as our healer."

"But I-"

"One more word." He warned, and I shut up, huffing I pushed past all three of them and sulked back to my room, there was no sign of Mr McBride.

Over the following days I treated the minor wounds of the neighbouring towns to the castle and some of the tenants to Hamish McNabb had heard about me and brought themselves before the magical Sassenach healer who might not actually want to kill us. They all thought I didn't, but i would if it meant I would go home, to my real home.

"May I see the Laird?" I asked Fergus, a week after I had spoken with him last. He rolled his eyes and took a swig of whatever was in his drinking pouch and climbed up the steps of my room.

I followed him through the castle and up the same way I had gone with Mr McBride a few fays back, till we reached his door and Fergus knocked on it. There was some hushed Gaelic which I chose not to listen to as I leant against the wall until suddenly the voices grew and were ended with a resounding, "Fino!" Fine. He had at least agreed to see me.

I was ushered into the room with a fuming Hamish, the door was shut and I stood quietly with my hands clasped at my waist. My silence made him angrier.

"Get on with it! Why are you here?" I breathed out and then in but I felt my eyelids falling. Then there was blackness.

"Is she dead?"

"No, she has blood pumping through her veins."

"It's been hours."

"When is she going to wake up?"

"All of you, shut up." I couldn't open my eyes but I groaned as I felt a pounding in my head.

"Ah, the Sassenach is awake." Turning over onto my side I went away from the noises in an attempt to sleep peacefully but I nearly fell off whatever I was on, but a hand pulled me back. I pushed it away and there were a few sniggers.

"Well I'm going. Can't stand to watch her for any longer it's boring."

"We should all go." Then there was the sound of retreating footsteps and some more coming my way.

"Agh, Miss Stark is in a bad way." A young female voice said.

"She took a fall, fainted right before the Laird, by that's none of my business. None of yours either, Leagsaidh." Mrs Conway. I recognised her voice immediately before I passed out again.

When I awoke again, I opened my eyes and sat up, the shooting pain in my head continued and I put my hand to a cloth wrapped part of the side of my head. I suspected i had some cut of some sort and had bumped my head. Looking around, I was alone and I stood up with a blanket wrapped around me. I walked up to the small mirror that was on the dresser table and touched my head, it stung but I knew I had to clean it. Looking around I saw a flask of what smelt like alcohol, removing the bandage from around my head I examined it.

It was worse than I thought, a long cut ran from the top of my forehead and down the side of my face that looked pretty deep and had alreadly developed bruising around it. But it wasn't too bad, it was only down the side and it could have been worse. I ripped off some of the bandage and wet it with some alcohol before dabbling it gingerly on the cut. It stung like hell and I swore a few times as I dabbed. Then I picked up a needle and thread that I alreadly had on my dresser and began to stitch up my own skin. I thanked God, because it wasnt deep enough to get anywhere near the skull and it woul never have burst any veins and done some real damage.

When i had finished it was pretty clean, and I was happy with my handywork even if it was there for the world to see. But i would heave to settle with the stiches healing in time and a scar that would probably happen. I lay the needle down and stood up, turning to the steps that led up to the door I saw the end of a shoe just jutting out from the side. Walking over, I found Mr McBride there on the steps, sitting down twirling his knife.

"You awake then?" He asked. I smiled.

"Yes, got a beautiful wound to show, for fainting. Who'd of thought it?" He grimaced and stood up.

"Want to go to dinner? It's just started and I usually miss them anyway, might as well go." Looking at him and weighed my options of letting everyone think I was dead by staying in my room and giving them the satisfaction. Or, going to dinner and disappointing them all.

I chose to disappoint them by following Mr McBride to the hall.

There were whispers, rolling of eyes and yells of disgust coming my way, but I had the advantage here. Not them. Walking up to the main table Hamish McNabb stared at me with a mixture of disgust and surprise. His wife and son sat either side of him, with Fletcher, the man with the blue and green kilt, sitting next to the Laird's son.

"You took quite a fall Miss, is it wise to be here." Mr McBride tensed slightly at my side but i smiled at Hamish.

"I assure you I am quite well. I have stiched myself up and wish to be of use once more." He narrowed his eyes but gestured to the seat next to Fletcher. I sat by his side once again as Mr McBride found a seat somewhere else. I looked his way and gave me a look of reassurance which didn't create conversation.

"How is the English woman doing?" I heard Fletcher ask. I turned around to face him.

"She is doing just fine. Thank you." He raised an eyebrow and shook his head before taking a swig of whatever was in his cup.

"Your going to get yourself killed, you ken your not being clever and yet you carry on like you are. I can tell your not a dumb woman Sansa but is behaving like this really the best idea?"

"I don't even know you? Why are you giving an apparent English whore advice?" I glared at him.

"I don't feel like killing a woman, but they will, and Hamish will too." He nodded to the swarm of people eating before us. He was right even if I wouldn't admit it.

"Maybe they wont hurt you just because they have been told not too. But as soon as you run away or you step to far out of line, you don't have that protection from Hamish. You don't have even the freedom of anything, you'll be attacked, whipped maybe. Or chased with chants of witch. Watch your back Miss Stark." Then he turned away from me and I looked at the entrance of the hall with nothing but fear in my eyes. I looked over to Mr McBride with the look of fear I had and then back to the floor.

"Can you tell Hamish I have suddenly felt too unwell to proceed with the night and I wish to retire." I whispered to Fletcher. He chuckled and walked over to his brother, there were hushed words and then Fletcher nodded to a side door at the side of the hall. I ran to it and opened it, when I was on the other side I found my way back around to where the hall door was and then back to my room.

Fine then I was in my room I was panicking, pacing up and down and breathing fast, I could hardly breath with this corset on and it didnt make it any better that I felt sick and i hadn't eaten. Running my fingers through my hair I began to cry and lace and pace for what seemed like hours before I stopped.

I only stopped because Mr McBride stood in my doorway, he shut the door and walked toward me. I felt as if he wouldn't hurt me, but I didn't want to take to someone who at the change of anything would stick me in with a sword.

"Go away." I said through tears, as I began pacing again.

"Why?"

"Just go away." I told him.

"Stop it." I didnt answer. But i carried on pacing.

"Mis Stark, stop it." He stood in front of me and I stood still, clutching myself and facing away from him. I could feel him come closer and his breath on my neck.

"You hate me. Everyone hates me and they still won't let me go home." I tried to compose myself, but I just wanted to get back to the stones and go home. But i couldn't go anywhere.

"Why would I hate you?" He said behind me.

"I'm English, a Sassenach bitch. I'm not worthy of anything unless I am a prisoner, but blessedly be the man who keeps me confined for he is the hero I should worship. For I am a feeble woman who cannot have my own views. Your taught to hate me."

"I don't hat you Sassenach. They don't know you, neither do I to be honest and I canny say whether I believe your whole story but I believe you don't want this war and that you want to get home. I don't think your a spy so i have no reason to hate you unless you hate me." I turned to face him and stepped backward.

"Yes, thank you. Forgive me, I am not quite well. I suppose it's why I'm acting so peculiar. If you would leave me now." He smiled one last time before turning around and leaving my room. I never knew how much I would miss his visits.


End file.
